The Shadow

Zuzu is from a beastfolk tribe that traces its lineage to a clan of ninjas from the East. He can be all but invisible when he chooses and moves without a sound. He moves so swiftly that he can appear to be in two places at once. In his pursuit of agility he has sacrificed strength, however, so his skill with weapons is second-rate.

The Supersonic

He has grown even swifter with the ninja blood in his veins newly awakened, earning him the name "Zuzu the Supersonic."

That speed is converted into ballistic force, and his mediocre skill with weapons can now be quite lethal.

The Hypersonic

The combined power of his ninja blood and his device have given him unimaginable speed.

With a momentary burst from the booster he wears, he can race across the battlefield faster than the eye can see. The spray of blood he leaves in his wake is like something out of a dream--or perhaps a nightmare.

With Ka'pori

The sight and sounds filled Zuzu with an unquenchable wrath. There, right before his eyes, Ka'pori was greedily devouring a meal with a big grin upon his face.

"Oh, this is SO good! Who knew chicken steak could be so tasty?"

But the more Ka'pori enjoyed his meal, and the bigger his grin grew, the more Zuzu came to see him as some sort of demon.

Suddenly, the sound of a hungry, rumbling stomach joined the sounds of Ka'pori's gluttonous feast.

The sound would have been funny if it were not so sad, for no one could fathom, least of all Ka'pori, the difficult, never-ending battle Zuzu waged against calories in order to maintain his godlike speed.

With Rejin

"Where...where did you get that sword?"

Zuzu shrank back a step.

"Hey, hold on," said Rejin. "It's not like I'm about to use it on you."

Zuzu took another step back, evidently not so sure.

"That's the sword my late grandparents used to speak of," he said. "No mistake."

By their account, that sword lusted for slaughter and fresh blood--and it manipulated its wielder to get it.

Rejin declared that no such thing had ever occurred.

"This is a precious family heirloom. Tread carefully or you may regret it, friend or no."

Zuzu hesitated, then simply said, "Sorry," and went on his way.

As he passed Rejin, a chill ran down his spine. He could swear an entirely different voice murmured: